Agitator construction



Aug. 22, 1944. F. ROCKE 2,355,353

AGITATQR CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 20. 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Floyd L. Rocke. W /M A TTORNEX Aug. 22, 1944. v F. 1.. ROCKE 7 2,356,353

' AG'ITATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 20. 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE Floyd-Lj zg.

BY g' ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 22, 1944 AGI'TATOR CONSTRUCTION Floyd L. Rocke, Bloomington, assignor to Electric Household. Utilities Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application February 20, 1942 Serial No. 431,619 3 Claims. (or 68-134 eral type have primarily been formed by moulding either metal or various plastic materials.

Agitators thus formed, while possessing certain advantages, also have certain inherent disadvantages. For example, in the "use of aluminum agitators, the surfaces subjected to the washing fluid become pitted and develops a generally roughened surface due to the alkaline action of the washing fluid. Such roughened or pitted surfaces greatly increase the abrasive action upon the clothes and result in unnecessarily reducing the iifethereof. It is also well known that moulded plastic type agitators have some tendency to warping and disccloring and are somewhat fragile and may be damaged or broken in the event that they are inadvertently dropped after having been removed from the machine during the process of cleansing the machine and/or the agitator.

One of the primary objects: of myinvention is toprovide a novel agitator construction formed as an assembly of a plurality of parts stamped from sheet metal.

Another object is to provide an improved agitater construction of the character indicated consisting of an assembly of a plurality of stamped sheet metal vanes and a stamped sheet metal base, and wherein the elements are of such construction and form so as to permit: application of a suitable and durable coating, such asvitreous enamel.

A further object is to provide an improved agitator of the character indicated formed as an assembly of a plurality of stamped sheet metal parts including a multiplicity of vertically disposed vane elements, each being provided with an auxiliary extension portion, and the vanes being so co-related with each other that when assembled as a unit said auxiliary extension portions form an upright tubular duct for accommodating the drive shaft therein.

Still another object is to provide an improved agitator of the character indicated formed as an assembly of a plurality of stamped sheet metal parts including a multiplicity of upright vane elements mounted upon a base element and wherein the vane elements are each formed with an auxiliary extension portion so that said vanes may be assembled together in a manner as to her.

cause abutting engagement of the outer vertical edge of each of said auxiliary extensions of said vane elements against an intermediate portion of the surface of the next adjacent vane element, with a gasket interposed between said edge and the adjacent vane element and said auxiliary extensions'of said vane elements thus forming a tubular duct for accommodating the drive shaft therein.

A still further object is to provide a novel and improved form of agitator which is of simplified construction, durable in operation, and which is capable of economical manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the novel agitator construction, embodying the present invention. =20

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the agitator embodying the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal, transverse, sectional view through the agitator, taken substantially as indicated at line 33 on Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical, staggered, sectional view taken as indicated at line 4-4 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, detailed, sectional View through the juncture of two abutting vane elements, taken as indicated at line 5-5 on Fig. '2. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, detailed, sectional view taken at line 66 on Fig. 3, showing the method of attachment of the vanes to the base mem- As will be apparent from the following description, the agitator embodying the present invention is formed as an assembly of a plurality of stamped sheet metal parts, the design of'w'hich is such that said parts may be conveniently coated with a suitable material such as vitreous enamel prior to the assembly of the parts as an agitator.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings, the agitator is composed of disc-shaped base I 0, the outer marginal edges of which are down-turned to form a flange II, as clearly seen in Fig. 4. In the construction illustrated, the upper surface of the base is shown as substantially flat but it will be apparent if desired other suitable contours may be imparted to the upper surface of said base as may be preferred.

Mounted on the base in central relationship to the axis thereof is a plurality of angularly related up-standing vanes l5, herein shown as three in number, which are disposed in such corelationship to each other as to form a centrally disposed up-standing tubular duct of triangular cross section, as indicated at I6. When the vanes are mounted in position on said base, the duct I6 is disposed in registration with a correspondingly shaped opening l1, formed centrally in the base, as may be seen in Fig. 4, to permit telescoping the agitator over a drive shaft, as will hereinafter be described.

Said vanes l are each formed as a sheet metal stamping and include a main operating portion l8 and an auxiliary extension portion l9, and .it

is these extension portions, which, when the respective vanes are properly assembled and corelated, serve to form the walls of said tubular duct l6, as seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The

fining the operating areas of the vanes, said vanes are disposed in such a juxtaposed position that the outer vertical edge of each auxiliary extension portion 19 abuts against the intermediate portion of the next adjacent vane at a plane defining the effective operating portion l8 and the auxiliary extension portion IQ of said vanes. Said vertical edge of the extension portion of each vane have mounted thereon a flexible strip 2|, preferably of rubber, so as to form a yielding abutment connection between the adjacent vanes. The lower edge of each vane is provided with a laterally extending flange 22 adapted to be seated upon and secured to the base ID with a resilient gasket 23, interposed therebetween, by means of bolts 24. The upper ends of the vanes are connected by screws 25 to the respective walls of a triangular shaped driving block 26, which connects the upper ends of the vanes together as a unit and provides support for the driving block. Said driving block is formed with a tapered socket 21- for snugly seating upon a co-operatively tapered driving head carried on the upper end of the agitator drive shaft (not shown), for driving engagement therewith, and by virtue of which oscillation is imparted from said shaft to the agitator.

It will be observed that by virtue of the construction herein disclosed the vane elements are formed as relatively simple stampings, and while I have preferably disclosed a construction utilizing only three vanes,.it will be apparent that a larger number of vanes may be employed and connected together in a similar fashion as herein disclosed. The construction also lends itself to quick and efficient assembly of the parts for economical manufacture.

auxiliary extensions thus serving to form a tubular duct, registering with an aperture in the base, for accommodating a vertical drive shaft therein, and a resilient gasket encasing said outer edge of each of said auxiliary extensions.

2. An agitator for use in a washing machine, comprising a stamped sheet metal circular base member, a plurality of stamped sheet metal vanes each including auxiliary extensions for the full height of the vane, said vanes being mounted on and in non-radial relation to the base in upright position and in angular relation to each other so as to dispose the outer vertical edge of the auxiliary extension of each vane in abutting relation to the next adjacent vane, thereby defining the operating areas of the vanes, said auxiliary extensions thus serving to form a tubular duct, registering with an aperture in the base, for accommodating a vertical drive shaft therein, the lower edge of each vane terminating in a laterally extending flange seated upon and detachably connected to the base member, and a. driving block mounted in the upper end of the tubular duct and detachably connected to the upper end of the auxiliary extension of each vane.

3. An agitator for use in a washing machine, comprising a stamped sheet metal circular base member, a plurality of stamped sheet metal vanes each including auxiliary extensions for the full height of the vane, said vanes being mounted on and in non-radial relation to the base in upright position and in angular relation to each other so as to dispose the outer vertical edge of the auxiliary extension of each vane in abutting relation to the next adjacent vane, thereby defining the operating areas of the vanes, said auxiliary extensions thus serving to form a tubular duct, registering with an aperture in the base, for accommodating a vertical drive shaft therein, the lower edge of each vane terminating in a laterally extending flange seated upon and detachably connected to the base member, and a resilient gasket interposed between each of said flanges and said base member.

FLOYD L. ROCKE. 

